Delusional Destiny
by tvdfans4ever
Summary: All's fair in love and war...or so they say... 11th century AD: Klaus and Elijah fight over Tatia's affection..but what happens when she finally makes a choice ? Who will it be..or what will it be ? Who said love didn't have consequences..and these ones.. are going to be pretty DEADLY...
1. Chapter 1

******Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. The Vampire Diaries belongs to LJ Smith and the CW. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.**

**Delusional Destiny**

" You don't love someone because of their looks or their clothes. You love them

because they sing a song only your heart can understand." - LJ Smith

**Prologue:**

10th century A.D

Life in Mystic Falls was pretty simple back then. Calm , peaceful and completely….normal …as you would call it. This was before she was born. Before the first Petrova doppelganger , Tatia was born .Nobody saw it coming. It was beyond their wildest dreams... but life in Mystic falls was about to change forever...

* * *

**Part 1:**

**Chapter 1: (Tatia)**

It was all very confusing. How could anyone be in love with 2 people at the same time? It was so unfeminine of her. It made her feel like a horrible person. She felt as if she was using the two people she trusted most. What was even more disgusting about the whole situation was that she already happened to be married and had had Ariana,her 5 year old daughter, who she thought she loved more than anyone in the world. Her life, she thought couldn't be more perfect ,but that was until she met the two of them...

Niklaus and Elijah Mikaelson were the two men who had changed her life. The two people who had made an impact on her substantial existence. Before them she had thought that she couldn't have been more happier. She was certainly well off , was gifted with extraordinary beauty ,that made men fall for her at the drop of a hat , she was married to a man who couldn't love her more , she had a beautiful daughter and a perfect family as people would call them .But she wasnt satisfied. She wanted passion and adventure .The Mikaelsons gave her that . They made her feel...Alive. However here came the tricky part. Overprotective as he was she knew that if her husband found out about her indiscretions ,her life would probably be ruined. Furthermore, what would Ariana think of her ? What kind of a role model would she be for her little daughter, her innocent 5 year old? It was all so unfair! Why couldnt she have both- the Mikaelsons and her family?

As she was thinking to herself her husband appeared before her. In a flash he gripped her hand and twisted it, making her scream in agony.

"Aaah!"  
"And you thought ,I wouldnt find out didn't you? You thought you could have kept it a secret for as long as you pleased didn't you? How could you Tatia! And to think I trusted you. How could you have fallen so low. Was my love not enough for you. Havent I given you everything you asked for, everything you desired. What more could you have possibly wanted.I loved you! How dare you betray me!" he screamed.  
Tatia didn't know what to do. She clearly hadn't expected this. She may have thought of telling him the truth ,but she clearly didn't want him to find it out the way he had.

"How could you have done this to us," he began again, perhaps a little softer than before.

"But most of all how could you do this to Ariana! Your own daughter! Didn't you think about her? Don't you care about our girl ,Tatia!..Why did you do this ?...And with those minors..."

"I'm sorry! I..." she cried. "But you were never here for me! Every time I wanted to confide in someone, to talk to someone..I felt i had nobody..I...I will fix this .I promise you,I will."

"You better do ,because if you don't ,you'll lose the only thing that you think you still can salvage .I'll take Ariana away from you.I'll make her forget you..and then you'll have no one left ,all because of that one mistake you made ,that's going to cost you everything."

And with that he left her dreadfully alone. Tears streaming down her face , her only solace.

She needed to stop this. It was for the best .For all of them .Even if it pained her to do so...She had to salvage whatever was left of the family she had .She had to say her goodbyes to the Mikaelsons …...Forever...


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 : (Niklaus)**

It was almost nightfall. She was supposed to meet him hours ago. He ought to be practicing with Elijah . And even then , he knew it wasn't right to be out so late. Mikael would probably skewer him if he found out .

Despite everything that had happened ,he still considered Mikael to be his father, even if he sometimes despised him. He hated disobeying him. To be honest , he was actually afraid of him.  
Where was she?, his patience was gradually running out. He didn't have all the time in the world. If it was someone else he would have been gone long ago...but it was _Tatia_.  
Probably the prettiest woman he had laid his eyes on. She had an oval face, almond-shaped deep doe brown eyes and smooth, long dark brown hair cascading down her back which made her look even more desirable. He knew he was not the most handsome man there was but he had his own charm that made women go weak in their knees.  
While he was pondering, a new shadow appeared before him. He turned around and gasped. What he saw took his breath away.

Tatia was standing just a few yards away from him. The moonlight made her look even more divine .She looked like an angel descended from heaven itself. He was so captivated and dumbstruck by her that he couldn't will himself to move ,until she spoke.

"I want to tell you something Nik, will u listen to me?", she asked.  
Of course he would .He smiled and nodded."Before I met you..I was sad,unhappy.I wanted more from my husband, from life...from everyone. In fact, I felt very lonely to be honest. But then i met you Niklaus,and things changed. For the first time in my life i felt wanted by someone.I felt loved.I felt more alive than I've ever been before and its because you came into my life.I love you Niklaus and you can't imagine how much that means to me." He couldn't believe what he was hearing .The woman he loved more than anything was professing her love for him! It was like a dream come true! He actually believed he was dreaming till she continued again. "However even good things in life have to come to an end. Everything was so perfect until I was reminded of my duties . Of my responsibility as a wife towards my husband, as a mother towards my daughter... And now …...all I can think about us...seems a distant dream to me...a possibility that can never come true.  
"I can't do this to him, Nik. Before you …..he ...was everything and he still is and i can't let that go..I can't let him go...and if I do what does that speak of me? I'm so sorry..but i can't betray the man who has given me so much ,who accepted me despite all my flaws,I cant leave my daughter Niklaus , I cant leave my Ariana ! It feels wrong I..i'm sorry but its time for me to let you go."

Klaus was tongue tied and didn't know what to do. She was the only one he loved her more than anyone else .She was the only one who truly cared about him inspite of everything ,and now she was..._ leaving_ him ...after everything that had happened.  
The thought of her leaving him made him so angry he felt his blood boil with poison coursing through his veins. Her words had hurt him. He could have even put up with being mistreated by Mikael for eternity ...but Tatia leaving him...the mere thought of it was simply unbearable.  
But realization soon dawned on him as he saw his love walking away from him,walking out of his life forever...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:(Tatia)**

Leaving him was even more difficult and painful than she had anticipated it to be. It was probably the hardest thing she had ever done in her life. She was upset, afraid and trembling after her encounter with him. She felt her heart grew heavier with every footstep .But what had to be done was done and even if it had hurt her to let him go she knew it was the right thing to do.  
When she reached home, she expected to find her husband ,but found him waiting instead.  
"Niklaus!" she exclaimed.  
"You thought you could just walk away didn't you. Leave me as quickly as you told me you loved me. But I'm not going to make things easy for you, love. If I can't have you ..no other man can and you know how persistent I can be anyway..",he smiled.  
Under normal circumstances she wouldn't have bothered . But after what had happened tonight, nothing could have scared her more.  
"What do you mean?"she asked still trembling.

He surged forward , locked his arms around her and kissed her.

After that everything about that night seemed to be a blur..

A few months later she had found herself living in a small cottage in a small village a million miles away from home . Beginning anew with her husband and daughter with the hope of ever encountering the Mikaelsons for the rest of her lifetime.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: (Ayana)**

Ayana was a respectable woman. She had secured an honorable place of her own in society and everyone was well aware of her authority and dominance and admired her for it. As brave, strong and confident a witch she was, people close to her knew her life lacked meaning. The problem was that she wished to have a child. However after years of trying she still couldn't conceive .

So the day Tatia came to her was probably the day both of their lives changed forever...

After her rendezvous with Niklaus, Tatia had found herself carrying his child. As troubled and worried as she was of the consequences that would follow especially after her husband's threat, she still told him everything . Her husband ,even though was infuriated at first,was not at all astonished at his wife's infidelity and he made her vow to give the child away as soon as it was born and leave town with him forever.

"Ahhhh! Aaaahhh! Aaaah!", she screamed. This was even more painful than she had thought.

"Just a little more Tatia, you're almost there" said Ayana  
Tatia had asked Ayana to be the midwife and help her with her delivery. Although she didnt want to give up her baby as soon as it was born she liked having the powerful witch close to her at a time like this...

"Aaaah!" she screamed again ,and after that she heard a soft cry...

"Its a girl" Ayana exclaimed. "And what a beautiful child she is ! Just like her mother", she smiled.  
"Let me hold her ."  
"Please Ayana! I beg you ...as a mother, let me hold my little girl..let me have the honour of naming her"  
" Don't worry Tatia! I'll take good care of her. And for her name...she shall be called Qetsiyah."  
"Ayana wait! Please don't take her ...Please!"  
And with that the witch disappeared with the bundle of joy that she now claimed as her own...


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: (Esther)**

Esther didn't want any more trouble than she already had. Migrating from the Old World had introduced her to an entirely new set of problems. The constant reminder of her son, Aaron's death always unnerved her .Mikael and Klaus never seemed to be at peace. Her children,Klaus and Elijah, were fighting over Tatia and now Ayana had another problem at hand. She had told her that something unexpected had happened and had asked to meet her near the woods.

Ayana was already there waiting for her when she arrived she was holding a big basket.  
"Ayana, why did you call for me?"Esther asked  
"I would like to show you something. Do you know what day it is today, Esther?"  
"I believe I don't quite recall"  
"Today is the beginning of the nova, Esther. A special day for each witch and warlock alike. A time when our power is immeasurable ,and our strength increases tenfold. Today is the beginning of prosperity for us."

"I am well aware of this, what do you intend by explaining all of this to me right now and that too in the middle of the woods?"

Esther looked confused. Noticing her bewildered expression ,Ayana opened the lid of the basket she was carrying. Esther gasped. The woven basket held a tiny, beautiful child with piercing familiar blue eyes like the calm blue waters and a tuft of blond hair as bright as the sun .  
"May I know whose child this is, Ayana?" Esther demanded.  
"This girl, Qetsiyah ,was born today,Esther. She is a very special child. I intend to keep her and raise her as my own and bring her up to be a powerful witch someday, with your help."  
"Do you realise what you're saying Ayana? What you plan on doing is morally wrong. This child belongs to someone else and her rightful place is with her mother. We ought to return her back. We cant just raise isnt right!"  
"This is Tatia's child, asked me to raise her "

Hearing this Esther's expressions nose wrinkled in wanted nothing to do with Tatia or her child.  
"Then you raise her up on her own. I want nothing to do with the woman who ruined my family" , she huffed and began to walk away.

"You would want to if you knew this was your granddaughter"

Esther stopped dead in her could have shaken her more than what she had heard.

"Yes is Niklaus's child. Being illegitimate Tatia couldnt raise her up on her own. So she trusted me with her upbringing. I knew that as soon as you found out that she was your own you would want to give her the best life possible"she replied.

Esther knew all there was to be known about an "illegitimate child".In fact she had had one of her own. After all Niklaus ,was born after as a result of her affair with the Chief of the Vikings. The mistake she made years ago still haunted her even today. And to think that her own son would be foolish enough to make such a mistake again!

"If she is what you claim her to be then let it be known that she is now my responsibility .Make sure that nobody learns about her Ayana and i'll take care of the rest. "

And with that she took little Qetsiyah and left.


	6. Chapter 6

**A YEAR LATER...**

**Chapter 6:(Esther)**

"Come on Henrik, our brothers are fighting again!",exclaimed Rebekah. Both of them went running excitedly, to watch their brother's duel.  
"Oh look our little sister's arrived",Elijah said. "to watch my fast approaching victory."  
"On the contrary, Elijah." Niklaus smirked.

They were fighting hand to hand or rather sword to sword, when Esther and Mikael arrived at the scene. In an attempt to show his father how skilled he was, Niklaus cut off Elijah's belt.

"I've come to laugh at you." Niklaus remarked causing everyone to laugh but Mikael's face turned cold and harsh, and his eyes burned with fury. Esther knew that Mikael hated the fact that Niklaus was not his son and thus held a permanent grudge against him.  
"Relax Mikael", Esther tried to calm him "Niklaus means well."  
"That's precisely my problem." Mikael told her and he took the sword form Elijah. "So? Why don't you teach me that trick, young warrior." Then he attacked Niklaus .Swords clashed.  
"CLANG...CLANG...CLAT"  
"Father," Niklaus explained "We were just..having fun."  
"We fight for our survival and you fight time for fun!" Mikael spat "I want to have fun. Teach me, come on!" he said sarcastically.  
"Father it was nothing"  
"Aarrghh!" Mikael attacked him with such force and speed that even though Niklaus defended himself, he could barely lift his sword in time and watch helplessly as it skidded across. Then Mikael effortlessly pushed him to the ground and in seconds he had the tip of his sword pointed at his throat.  
"You are foolish and impulsive, my boy." Mikael said  
"What? No more laughter?"  
The whole scene that had unfolded before them had frightened Henrik and Rebekah and even Elijah was somewhat uneasy.  
"You made your point, Mikael." Esther said. She wanted all of this to stop.

Mikael thrust his sword into the ground near Niklaus' neck,barely missing him.  
"Somedays its a miracle you are still alive. Boy." and with that he disappeared once again into the woods.

Esther had intended on telling Mikael about Niklaus's child. It had been a year since she was entrusted with her but somehow she couldn't gather the will to tell him. She had managed to hide Qetsiyah in one of the caves that their family frequented ,once a while. But things were getting much more harder for her recently . Qetsiyah was growing up and needed more of her time and attention. She couldn't just leave her so very child required proper care and nourishment which she was not getting and that troubled Esther more than ever.

She had always confided in Mikael and trusted the decisions he made but with the recent turn of events, she doubted her telling Mikael about the baby would improve his relationship with Niklaus. She also wondered as to whether Niklaus really knew about the child he had produced.  
It was unknown what the future held for them but if the tension between Niklaus and her husband continued to brew, it was probably for the best that she leave Qetsiyah out of it. At least for the time being .


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: (Elijah)**

A lot had happened over the past year. So much that he felt that things were spiralling out of control. Niklaus and father's relationship had worsened, Tatia had mysteriously disappeared, Niklaus constantly refused to speak of her which made him wonder even more as to what had happened and now mother too had become more secretive.  
What was going on ? And why was he kept out of all of it ? He suddenly felt more like an outsider than he had ever felt before which irritated him to no extent.  
What bothered him even more as to why the lovely Tatia had left him...without saying her goodbyes..Where was she? ..Was she alright or was she in any danger ? ..He longed to see her more than ever now, for she was his only source of comfort when things went awry.

As he was walking along the cobbled road ,engrossed in his thoughts ,completely unaware of the world around him, he dashed into a lady carrying a basket .

"My apologies Miss." he apologized and bent down to collect her belongings. "Pardon me for dashing into you .I didn't see where i was going .I hope you are not hurt?"

" As a matter of fact I am , Elijah." she replied playfully.

Elijah was baffled. How did she know his name?

But when she turned around it all made sense to him. The woman before him was Tatia herself !

Smiling mischievously she replied "I'm appalled Elijah! In my absence you seem to have completely forgotten about me! In fact you barely recognized me!"

"Not at all Tatia ! I could never have forgotten you even if I chose 're to . You are far too special to go unremembered. To be honest ,I was thinking about you right now before we dashed into one another."

She blushed and coyly smiled as she picked up her basket again.

"May I ask you something Tatia?. Why did you leave? Why did you disappear? I searched everywhere for you.I even asked Niklaus and mother but no one would answer me. What made you want to leave ? Weren't you happy here …...with me?"

"I was Elijah and that was precisely the problem. My happiness.. I realized comes second too my responsibilities. During the time that I spent with you ,I was becoming more and more careless regarding Ariana. I didn't have enough time for her. At times I blatantly ignored her whilst engrossed in my musings .Are these the qualities that define a good mother? I'm sorry Elijah but I left for the sake of my daughter.I had to. Forgive me for not telling you but I feared it would sadden you and I didn't want to hurt you even more than I already had."

"In my opinion you hurt me even more by not telling me Tatia. I had the right to know." he replied .

"But", he continued. " What's done is done. Let it all be in the past now. So..what do you intend to do now Tatia ?I would expect that you have a lot up your sleeve, especially after a year of your absence."

"I do! But first I intend to go and deliver this. I'm already late now. It was nice talking to you again, Elijah ! I hope to see you soon. Goodbye !"

"Goodbye Tatia."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 :(Esther)**

Life had returned back to its normal, monotonous, routine in the past few days. Everything was perfect. That was until SHE managed to turn up at her doorstep, one fine day, to ruin everything once again.

When Esther learned Tatia had left town she couldn't have been more pleased. It seemed as if the source of all her problems had suddenly vanished into thin air and she was glad for it too. But that was until Tatia paid her a visit.

" Good morning Esther! It's been a long while since we've met. I have to apologise for not paying you a visit earlier ,as I had left town. But as soon as I learnt that Ayana had entrusted you with Qetsiyah it was apt for me to come and pay a visit . How are you keeping? And how's my little girl?" she inquired

"Qetsiyah is perfectly well, I assure you. There is nothing you need to worry about as long as she is under my guardianship. However I must say I am a bit surprised about you visiting us .I thought you had abandoned her completely."

Tatia appeared hurt at her remark ,however she paid no heed to it. She was least bothered to worry about how Tatia felt.

"Surely you don't think so low of me. What have I done to acquire such an opinion of myself?"

" What have you done Tatia? You've ruined my family! My boys are never at peace because of you! They fight and quarrel amongst themselves. You ruined the relationship they shared with each other. You broke their bond. And now you left your child with me. After everything that you put me through, you expected me to care for her? If she wasn't Niklaus's daughter I would never have agreed. I would have abandoned her the day Ayana came to me. I want nothing to do with you or your kind anymore!", she replied harshly.

"Esther! I...Please forgive me..I"

"I think you've overstayed your welcome .Don't bother visiting us again. Know that she shall be safe with me. Please leave now."

And with that she shut the door in her face leaving her completely and utterly alone.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 :(Tatia)**

Tatia didn't know what to do anymore. So much had changed since she left town. So much that she felt as if everyone she knew despised her completely.

A year ago her husband had made her vow never to set foot in Mystic Falls again .However after an immense amount of begging and pleading ,was she allowed to make a short visit to see Qetsiyah. And after all that ,she wasn't fortunate enough to even get a glimpse of her little angel. She longed to see her so much  
and being denied the opportunity troubled her a lot.

However she was not one to quit. She already had a plan forming in mind. Tonight ,when the rest of Mystic falls would be enjoying and feasting at the gala, planned on the occasion of the nova, she would sneak out in the midst of the celebrations and go visit Qetsiyah. Surely Esther would be too busy to notice.

And after that she could peacefully leave Mystic Falls and come and secretly visit her time to time ,without anyone knowing.

Her plan was absolutely foolproof. Nothing could possibly go wrong ….or so she thought..


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: (Niklaus)**

Life couldn't possibly get any more worse than it already had. The past year had been dreadful enough for him. Tatia had left him, Mikael was always finding faults in him , Elijah had become even more suspicious and to be honest he didnt think that they were close anymore. Everything was miserable.

However the only person that he seemed to trust at a time like this was Rebekah. She was the one giving him hope. She was his ray of light , illuminant through the endless darkness that seemed to engulf him. He was thankful to have her with him.  
But that's what little sisters were for anyway, weren't they!

So when Rebekah had asked him to accompany her to the feast he had to oblige.  
"How do I look,Nik?", she asked.  
She looked beautiful .She was wearing a long dark purple gown. Her hair was braided down her back ,with orchids and petunias adorning the circlet on her head.  
"You look lovely 'Bekah!"  
"Shall we proceed to the feast then?"  
He nodded and they went hand in hand to the feast together.

While the others were having a good time ,Niklaus just sat by the hearth ,gazing at flickering flames in the fireplace. They seemed to be dancing to a tune of their own and he quite enjoyed observing them. They would make a good painting , perhaps.. later on...

That's when he heard a familiar sound over the din.

He turned around to see Tatia making her way through the crowd. She looked different .She was wearing a crimson red gown with her wavy hair let loose like always, red ribbons braiding the free strands of hair that fell in her face. She gave the illusion of pure perfection but her eyes deceived her. They were sad and worried and hurt and made her seem all the more broken . He didn't know why but looking at her had completely broken him too.

After that incident he had sworn never to look at her again , not even speak of her or respond when someone mentioned her. But by simply watching her talk to someone , standing a few feet away from him, his resolve had been shattered completely. He wished to talk to her now. To speak to her once. Just once.

He didn't know how long he had stared at her, till she suddenly made her way towards him.

"Good evening Niklaus", she said politely. "How have you been ?"she asked looking genuinely concerned.  
"A lot better I suppose, since I've finally come to terms with you leaving me."  
"I'm sorry. But I had to..."  
"Let us not speak of it now. Please ,join me. For old time's sake I suppose ."  
He gently took her hand in his own and both of them slowly began waltzing to the melody of the music .

"So, what brings you back to Mystic falls then? I thought you had left and vowed never to return?" he asked , sarcasm dripping in his voice.

She suddenly appeared somewhat perplexed .

"Dont you know Niklaus? Has nobody told you?" she said innocently.  
"Told me what?"  
"That night, when you visited me….. you gave me something to remember you by ,Nik."

Niklaus couldnt believe what she had just said. This was possibly the biggest surprise he had ever received from someone. It was a straight blow on the head ,to be precise.

"I..I don't understand..."  
"I came to visit Qetsiyah, your daughter." "  
Before leaving, I had handed her over to Ayana but then.. Esther intervened and she has been taking care of her since."  
" Why didn't you tell me?"  
"I thought you knew. I thought Esther had told you."  
"And you STILL left?"  
She frowned.  
" Despite everything!... Why? Isn't Qetsiyah your daughter. Doesn't she need to be cared for by her mother? Don't you love her? She's our daughter Tatia!"  
She was quiet and unable to answer him after what he had said. Probably because she knew he was right. He _was_ right.  
" Are you happy Tatia? Are you really happy with your life? Are you satisfied ? Because in my opinion you dont appear so. You want this .I know you do. Stop fighting it. You know you're happy with me. You want to stay ...here with me and our daughter..."  
"You deserve this!" he continued. "You deserve to be happy! Stop trying to live your life on his terms! Let go! And you'll realize what I say is true..."  
"Its not that easy Niklaus..."  
"It is Tatia .You have to believe it is . **Life..is truly very simple..we just tend to make it more complicated**."  
"I don't know...I cant …"  
"I'll be waiting for you Tatia."he smiled. "By the woods... with Qetsiyah... and I know you'll come. You wont leave this time because deep down you know that this is right..for US."

And with that , he kissed her and left her wanting more...


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N :(I decided to do an Elijah chapter now..since it is a love triangle :P Will update soon...)**

* * *

**Chapter 11 : (Elijah)**

Elijah had never intended on attending the feast . Preparations for this day had begun quite some time ago and almost everyone important was to be invited. It was therefore, natural for him to be present too. He had earlier planned on going with Tatia but due to her mysterious disappearance a year ago he had completely cast it out of his mind to even make an appearance.

However her sudden arrival had now given him much reason to go.

He was presently engaged in conversation with a young lady when he spotted her...

And my..she looked splendid!  
Her red gown was a clear contrast to her appearance . It made her look bold, sensuous ….and... distinctive, quite different from her everyday ensemble. She looked so...alluring. It was as if when he saw her he seemed to forget everything around him. His whole universe seemed to revolve around her and her alone- the vivacious beauty who gave more meaning to his life.

"Good evening my lady!"he said and kissed her hand. "You look beautiful! Would you be so kind as to spare me a dance tonight?"  
She smiled.  
"I would be delighted to, Elijah. But I am in a hurry right now. I need to be somewhere else. However I do promise you the last dance tonight," she winked.  
"Why is it that I feel we always keep avoiding each other? Do you not enjoy my company?"  
"I do enjoy being with you ,Elijah! But I really need to be somewhere right now. Niklaus has called for me and its absolutely necessary for me to go," she replied.

He didn't want to be pushy or assertive. It wasn't right on his part to behave that way with a lady. But he deserved a dance with her to say the least. He thought that if she could spare time for his brother then why not for him?

Elijah was not a person to be jealous. Envy had never been one of his vices. However he couldn't help feeling resentful. Probably because nothing else mattered when it came down to Tatia .

" I'm sure my brother wouldn't mind waiting a while. Its not like the two of you are running away..." he laughed insecurely.

"Oh alright but just for a little while..I can't go back on my promise.."

As he began twirling her around , he noticed the moonlight illuminating her making her look divine and pristine. He was so captivated, he had to force himself out of his reverie and make conversation so as not to bore her while they danced along.

"What does my brother want to see you about?" he asked abruptly ,silently cursing himself for being so insensitive.

"Uh...I...I'll have to find out when i meet him"  
"The moon looks beautiful tonight" she said  
"Ah! ..The beauty of the nova! Although not quite in comparison to the beauty before me.."  
"Thank you", she blushed.  
"I'd like to tell you a story Tatia...I've never really told anyone about this,but i'd like to share this with someone...Before my family arrived in Mystic Falls, our mother told us we had a brother ….named Aaron ,who perished due to a plague prevalent back there. Since then , I've always felt as if ...we were constantly fighting..this.. battle for life.. 'survival of the fittest' as you would call it. I don't want it to be like that anymore..I don't want to merely survive now...I feel like living life to the fullest, enjoying everything it has to offer. I want it to be that way now Tatia...which is why i have to show you something..Please come with me..it will only take some time.."

So she followed him through the never ending pathways till they reached their destination.

"Please come inside. I'm sorry I have not much to offer , I hope you are comfortable"

She smiled.

That's when he brought forth a small box. He opened it and there it was... A small necklace with a dark blue pendant adorning it. It was very simple but beautiful and pure just the way it was..

"Mother had given this to me saying that when I find a girl whom I love and will never cease to love for eternity , I should give this to ..this is for you.."

"Elijah! It's beautiful"

"Just as you are"

"..But..I ..I can't accept it.."

"Surely you must, Tatia! Consider it..as a token of my love..It would make me happy seeing you wear it"

"I...umm...Can you..?"

"Of course" he smiled and gently clasped it on her neck.

"Thank you..I...I need to leave now..."

He lightly put his finger on her lips and smiled.

"Not right now.."

He bent down and gently kissed her ,igniting everything within her. She suddenly felt herself burning with passion and desire at his touch.. It was as if he was meant for her...It was as if ..time had suddenly come to a standstill...Everything stopped, just as it was for them and nothing mattered anymore...

The next morning Elijah woke up alone to find her already gone...


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 : (Niklaus)**

He couldn't have felt more heartbroken than he was feeling now. How could this have happened? He finally had it all planned out..Everything was just as it was supposed to be...Then what had gone wrong? ...But more importantly the question nagging him was ... "_Why?_ " Why had all of this happened? Why was **HE**always the one to suffer...Why did it have to be him?

Last night he had been absolutely positive that Tatia would come. There was no doubt she'd turn up after he had rationally reasoned with her..and why wouldn't she? She **HAD**told him she loved him...And there was nothing stopping her now...

However what he was unaware of was that Tatia had someone else occupying her time last night and this time...it was the other Mikaelson who had managed to win her over...or maybe not...

After their brief exchange , Niklaus had shortly left the feast to see Qetsiyah. He wanted to have a look at his little angel and convince Esther to hand her over to him for a little while.  
He had conveniently found her present there too just as he had arrived at Qetsiyah's hideout.

"Mother! I was expecting to find you here". He decided to come straight to the point as he was quite impatient and restless to meet Tatia again. "I learnt about her", he said motioning towards Qetsiyah.  
"Tatia told me. You shouldn't have kept me in the dark. I had the right to know about my own daughter"

"I was going to let you know eventually...when all was well again between you and Mikael. I didnt want to complicate things and worsen the situation even more..I hope you understand Niklaus...Everything I do …..is for the betterment …for the good of our family...I just want us to live happily again..Is that too much to ask?"

"It is not..",he said.

Niklaus held Qetsiyah up and cuddled her. She was beautiful. She had the same powerful , bold blue eyes like him and a tuft of blond was a truly pretty baby... he had Tatia and...probably himself to thank for that.

He smiled as he thought of that...

"I would like to take my little child for a walk. Just for sometime.I promise I'll bring her back soon.. if only you allow me to."

"Alright. But don't wander about for long. Not many people know about her Niklaus and I want it to remain that way..."

And with that he had taken her and waited and waited and waited... for Tatia..He had also planned their great escape but Alas! .. she didn't come...

He had hoped that she would . But after what felt like an eternity of wanting and waiting and still not losing that flicker of hope still burning inside of him, he finally decided to let it go...

**Because when you love someone, sometimes its best to let them go...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: (Tatia)**

11 months later...

"Waaaaaaaaa!",she cried.  
"Sh! Little Sofia, someone will hear us" , Tatia said lovingly.  
It had almost been a year hiding and running ,separated from her husband and Ariana ,Qetsiyah ,Klaus and Elijah ..and she wasn't even sure if she wanted to face any of them yet...

After her liaison with Elijah ,Tatia had run away from Mystic Falls for good. She had neither seen anyone she knew nor talked to them for what seemed a year, during which Sofia was born . She had hid in a small abandoned cottage on a secluded island and had found a way of surviving by living on fruits and herbs of the forest .Sometimes Greta, the travellers' handmaiden, who accompanied them on almost all their excursions,would sneak out a meal from their tents, when they had gone out for their daily hunting routine and hand it over to her , probably because of Sofia she had thought.

She had actually begun to like the old lady for all her help. She was a pretty likeable person after all...

Living all by her own, was a whole new experience for her ...but she had managed well enough, so much that she was actually happy living this life.

It seemed more peaceful and calm and quiet..But if only she could continue living so..She knew that this was all a facade .Eventually Sofia would grow up and need proper food and nourishment..which would force her to _once again_ go out and face the world..and then there would be no going back...

She hated her life more than ever now. She hated having to choose all the time, to break people's hearts and to sacrifice her happiness for the good of everyone...

In an ideal world however, if she could choose though , inspite of everything, she would have chosen the **Mikaelsons**, in a heartbeat, no doubt..

But...there was a problem..which one ? Who amongst them would she have chosen to spend her life with? Despite the fact that she loved them both, equally enough...

A year ago she would have chosen to be with Niklaus, probably because of Qetsiyah...but_ now._..having two daughters Qetsiyah** AND **Sofia with two of the men she loved most..she was perpetually a broken, confused mess of a person...

_But_ it was time to decide, unfortunately, she HAD to get her life back together, what with 3 children and 2 lovers...

She sighed.

Well there was only one thing left to do now. The idealist in her still wanted to go back to Mystic Falls and live her happily ever after with BOTH the Mikaelsons but the realist in her took charge.

Greta and her band of merry men were travelling to Mystic Falls ,which provided her with the perfect opportunity to execute her plan ...

Greta was to give sofia to Ayana along with her message and she had promised her that in return, Ayana would tend to her needs during her stay in Mystic Falls.

So..with a final hug and kiss she bid her little Sofia goodbye and decided to return back to life...the harsh reality that she would continue living, probably till the end of time..


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Ooh... I'm so sorry for the delay!As usual I got busy with my tests... :P **

**I'll post the next chapter in a day or 2.**

**Ps I'm doing Klaus next! Would love a few suggestions regarding his daughter..**

**Will keep updating regularly...**

**:)))**

**Chapter 14: (Niklaus )**

Life can change in seconds. It simply takes a few_ moments_ to transform one's already miserable life to hell on Earth..

That's what he perceived as he ran towards the tents seeking his revenge..

"Elijah! You coward! Get up here and face me like a man!", he screamed in fury.

He couldn't bear the fact that his own brother had betrayed him . It couldn't have hurt him more than it did now..

He had expected his life to return back to normal after he had come to terms with Tatia leaving him again. He wanted to move on, and focus on other things like his brother and Qetsiyah.  
But what he had overheard had shattered him completely .

After Tatia had left ,he thought she had gone back to her husband and daughter... and he _did_ blame her for it ,for quite some time ,till he realized _they_ were her priorities all along.  
She cared about them and wasn't ready to let them go. He realized he had merely been a pawn in her selfish little game...But everything had changed now..He didn't care anymore..

It was just another conversation as someone would call it but to him, it was so much more..

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a woman named Ayana"  
"Yes."  
"Pardon me for disturbing you, my name is Greta . I come with a message from a girl named Tatia. I presume you know her."  
"I do. What is it about?"  
" She told me to give her to you."  
The old woman named Greta had said and handed over something..which _cried?_

"I don't understand", Ayana replied.  
"She told me you'd take care of her. This is Sofia, her daughter.  
She told me to give her to you and in return you would be hospitable to me during my stay in Mystic Falls.."

Tatia had another daughter? When? And why did she send her here? There were so many questions buzzing about in his head it seemed as if it would explode..

" What is this about?", she replied back impatiently  
"She told me Sofia's father lived here and that you know him...His name is...I can't seem to remember..Some Mikaelson..I presume..Hmm.."  
"Niklaus is it?", she asked somewhat amused.  
"No...someone..with the name ..i don't know", she replied irritably. "Eli..something Mikaelson"  
"Elijah Mikaelson", she gasped.  
She looked quite astonished but not as much as him...

Elijah! ELIJAH! Why?What? How? It wasn't possible..

"She told me the child was born out of wedlock. And you know how it is with women and their indiscretions nowadays..but that's beside the point..Am I welcome to stay now?"  
"Oh! I..."  
"Well you see she promised me...and I hear that you are a woman of your word..Besides this pretty child, needs your attention and care..don't deny her that. Look at her isn't she beautiful?"

And with that he turned away. He couldn't face it anymore. Anger plaguing his mind, clouding his judgement...He had had enough of this!

ELIJAH HAD A DAUGHTER! WITH TATIA!

SHE CHOSE HIM!? OVER ME ?

_"Elijah! You coward! Get up here and face me like a man!", he screamed in fury._

"What is it brother? You seem upset?"  
"UPSET! I'M FURIOUS!"  
"I dont understand..."  
"Arghh" he screamed and lunged at him. Both of them fell to the ground and began punching each other.

"How could you! And to think you are my brother." he panted "_Tatia is mine_!", bellowed Niklaus

"If I remember correctly brother she hadn't yet made that choice" ,Elijah countered and pushed him to the ground again.

"YOU HAD NO RIGHT ,ELIJAH!" he said and drew out his knife to stab him.

"ENOUGH!", said Esther and almost instantly he felt an excruciating pain erupt in his head which made him tumble to the ground in agony. Elijah too was writhing in pain.

"I NEVER want this to happen again. Do you BOTH understand me." she said. "The next time I see you fighting again i wont be this kind to you. Now sort it out amongst yourselves otherwise i shall have to do it the hard way."

"**I hate you brother!" **he exclaimed "**There is nothing you could have possibly done to make me detest you this much. I never want to see your face again!**" screamed Niklaus and ran towards the woods, angry tears streaming down his face.

The last thing he heard was his younger brother Henrik calling after him...


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 (Rebekah):**

Rebekah loved her family dearly. Like Esther she too wanted her family to be united and everyone to live happily and in peace with each other. However the odds were quite against their happiness she thought.

She was well aware of the fact that Elijah and Niklaus both loved Tatia dearly, after all she was very beautiful, even if she would hate to admit it. However seeing her brothers come to blows today over this one girl had truly upset her. Why did they care so much about her? What was it about her that made men fall head over heels in love with her? Why was it that everybody in the world was so bothered about her?

She couldnt help but feel a little jealous of her . It was quite natural though. Rebekah had always been spoilt by her family. She was the apple of her mother's eye which led her to be haughty and mean to others at times. Most of the townspeople considered her to be a brat, but Rebekah Mikaelson was infact a girl who needed just a little more love, affection and attention from others and when she didnt get what she wanted she would lash out in a rather unpleasant manner. Her insecurity and naivety was the reason behind her usual unpleasant demeanor and anyone who got to know her really saw how vulnerable she was behind the carefully constructed facade she showed the world each day.

As Rebekah reached the caves, where the Mikaelsons and many other families had come to take shelter for the night, to protect themselves from the wolves, she heard muffled voices coming from somewhere nearby.

"This is wrong Ayana! I cant just sit here and watch my children fight amongst themselves.I MUST do something!"

"I understand that you are concerned Esther, but it was bound to happen. Both Niklaus and Elijah truly loved her and their fight for her affection is justified..."

"True love is not real unless it is returned. My sons have yet to understand that..."

"I must say I agree with you. But Niklaus has every right to be upset ,after what happened.."

"I just cant fathom that she would do such a thing..First Niklaus, then Elijah...which one of my children is next, Henrik?" ,said Esther exasperatedly.

" Henrik is too young for that now, don't you think?" said Ayana with a chuckle. "But this shouldnt be taken lightly. Tatia had a daughter with Niklaus despite the fact that she was already married and although i condemn such behaviour, i understand it was because they both loved one another. But now a year later i receive another child from her by a woman who asks me to house and take care of her just because Tatia promised her that i would do so ...this is unacceptable.

And to think that she already hasnt plagued the minds of your sons enough..We already have qetsiyah to take care of and now..another child? That to Elijah's daughter!"

"That woman ruined my family !And if you expect me to just sit around and watch her destroy all our lives...I wont stand for it!"

"Calm down Esther. Anger makes a person do things one ought not to. I know that you are upset and so am I but we must think things through before acting upon them.. I suggest you talk to your sons, make them understand then only will you be able to set things right. I must go now and cast the spell before the moon rises...However I have a strange feeling that something bad is going to happen .. "

Hearing Ayana approach Rebekah ran outside. She knew she needed to find Elijah and tell him what had happened.

"Elijah! Elijah!" she screamed "I know what happened."


End file.
